This album was an interesting listen. As someone from Illinois, born and raised, and still living here, it was interesting to see the take on a slice of Illinois history. This album, overall, was different for me. It was outside my wheelhouse, but I don't think it was for the better or the worse. I like the different elements of his music here. Some were more indie/folk, other numbers featured instrumentation such as brass and matched the eras of past events, which I appreciated. Overall, it was a fun trip. I liked the variety for not knowing what to really expect (I've heard of Sufjan Stevens, but hadn't explored his work).
Pink Floyd is truly one of those bands that people really love or really hate, I've discovered lately. Personally, I enjoyed this album. This was the first album I ever listened to from Pink Floyd growing up (they were much earlier than me in existence). I enjoy their experimentation and their prog elements. I like that they weren't doing the same thing as contemporary acts, and Money was the first song on bass I learned, so this one is personal. That said, I'm trying to give this a listen as if I wasn't familiar with it. I'm not Pink Floyd's biggest fan nor their biggest hater. I enjoyed this sonic journey back in time.
I never really gave the Beastie Boys much attention. I heard a song growing up, didn't like it, and moved on. Now, I'm in my mid-30s and gave this a listen. And I must say, it's really built my respect for the band. Their use of early sampling, groovy bass lines, and a mix of genre-bending elements made this a pretty fun trip. This may not be their most well-known record, but considering early hip-hop, this is a milestone venture. This was fun. I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I did.
This was a nice journey.
The Ramones are a band that gets a lot of flak for being repetitive. I get it. I heard this album twice through because it was so short. Yes, each song could literally bleed into the next song, and the cuts were roughly under 3 minutes apiece. While the original group has been gone for a bit, let's be real. We wouldn't have modern rock or pop punk if we didn't have the Ramones doing a lot with very little. They weren't super technical, but damn, they paved a path like no other. This was their debut, and this is groundbreaking. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but you have to acknowledge the past to appreciate the future.
This is quintessential CCR right here. This is their sophomore effort, but it clearly builds off of their debut album, "Creedence Clearwater Revival". Bayou Country might be only seven tracks, but boy, does it pack a punch. Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary both went on to propel the band and their unique sound forward. Not surprisingly, their cut of Good Golly Miss Molly is stellar as well. Other tracks, such as Bootleg and Graveyard Train, give listeners a deeper dive into their southern rock, folk, and blues-oriented grooves, and what would be the epitome of the band as we know them today. This album is a major part of how you recognize CCR when you hear them on the radio.
This album is legitimately a groundbreaking experience as it helped launch Beyoncé's career. This one has most of Destiny's Child's biggest hits. Survivor is an anthem, Independent Women was on every pop, hip-hop, and R&B radio station and in every club, Bootylicious was a rump shaker, popular of the new millennium, even though it was Edge of Seventeen. You even have the more ballad-esque pieces like Emotion. So, for a record from the turn of the 2000s, this really had everything you look for. Pop grooves, slow sexy jams, anthemic tunes, and club material. Maybe my opinion is unpopular, but really, to me, this checks the boxes.
So, on this one in general, I am getting mixed feelings. I like psychedelic rock, I like blues rock, I like the intent here. I appreciate Clapton's guitar and vocal chops, especially considering the contemporaries of the time. However, I don't like Clapton personally. That's not a part of this, though. Someone else stated exactly how I felt about this record. It is a cut of 11 songs at 33 minutes, which is relatively short. However, this one feels a lot longer. I don't know if every song just sounds the same, and I get lost where one ends, and another begins, or if it's like "Hey, it's Sunshine Of Your Love," and the rest is just kind of there.
So maybe I'm not admittedly as open-minded as I thought. This is a bit out there for me, and I've learned it's not my vibe. Yes, there's elements of a French Pink Floyd, NIN, and what I thought sounded like Megadeth (Pas Mal). I appreciate the opportunity to listen to something outside of my comfort zone. This is for some people. Sadly, I'm not one of them.
This was actually quite a groove to start out my work week. I haven't ever given War the listen, outside of Low Rider. This record was nice to get a little bit of many things. It had the disco feel, the funk, the groove of the 70s, some really good instrumentation, and was overall a smooth listen. Maybe this isn't their most popular work, but I wouldn't write it off either. It's got soul, funk, blues, jazz, and R&B in it. Just what the doctor ordered on a rainy Monday back to work.
For what it was, it was okay. And in general, I like punk. To listen to a full album in 15 minutes was wild, but expected. I liked the energy, but I just didn't vibe with this album as much as other albums. Maybe that's just me, but it felt like 15 minutes of being yelled at, rather than getting something out of it.
I didn't know about Richard Hawley, so bonus points to discovery with this one. I really liked this album. It was jazzy, more easy listening, singer-songwriter vibes than I listen to regularly. But this made for a peaceful listen. I liked the tone of his voice and I think this record is some of his best material. The Ocean stood out, of course, but I really like the old-school feel of the music despite the fact that this album is only 20 years old. It feels much older than that, but that adds the nostalgia of the doo-wop, 60s pop era. I'm happy with this album.
This is an EASY 5 stars for me. I LOVE Maiden. Two of my top 3 favorite songs from them are from this album, being Hallowed Be Thy Name and Run to the Hills. Number of the Beast was the song that actually introduced me to Iron Maiden after I played it on Guitar Hero back in the day. My parents raised me on old country, so this was something out there. Very influential Maiden album, and definitely worth the listen!
This is a pretty big record for The Police. Yielding some of their bigger hits, namely Every Breath You Take (which has been sampled, used, and recreated in various works), as well as Wrapped Around Your Finger. I know these are the biggest hits off the album, but I think the album is really a good balance. Not to mention that this album was their most successful release, the collection of songs really brings together these instrumentally and personally different people in Sting, Stewart and Andy. This was a great selection randomly thrown my way.
This might be someone's cup of tea. This gives me 2000s shopping mall vibes. It sounds like the generic music you would hear at a JC Penney, Sears (RIP), Macy's, or what have you. Maybe a Hollister & Co. Anyway, I couldn't get onboard with it. It was nostalgic maybe for like the first two or three tracks, then I completely lost track of it. It was good background music during work, but I could not tell you any single distinct feature about the album, music, or artistry. This album gives me a generic mall clothing store Hotel California vibe. You can check out any time you like, but can never leave. Also, while the cologne-esque album art gives me the old vibes of my teenage years, I'd return this product, because it stinks. If this is YOUR vibe reading this, I'm happy for you. For me, this ain't it. If you know remember the "Boots and Pants and Boots and Pants" club vibe, that's the entire album.
I remember when iTunes released "The Mother We Share" as a free single on a free singles Friday, where they'd release a handful of free songs by various artists. Sometimes they'd be great, sometimes there wasn't much to listen to. I remember this one because it was one of the ones I didn't like. I was also 13 years younger than I am now. Nowadays, I'll give anything a chance, including a former dislike. Now, I find the album decent. I'd say a couple of the songs might be added to my Spotify list of random gems from albums I listen to for this. It was very alternative/indie, which I dig more now than I did back then. In general, I'd recommend this one. I don't think this one will be in the top of my collection nor the bottom.
The Kinks are an interesting bunch. First, it should be noted that already at this album's release, The Kinks were already at 6 album releases. They were truly music generating machines. This album sits pretty well with me. It's that classic rock 60's early 70's sound. It had a good mix of flavors. This pick for the day was also nice because I hadn't really given The Kinks much deeper of a dive than their commercially successful hits. It was fun to take a trip back in time with the band. Victoria was a rocking track.
This album slaps! It also has Highway Star, my favorite Deep Purple song on it. I would call this quintessential classic rock. This was just the groove I needed. Highway Star, Smoke on the Water, Space Truckin', there's no way this can't be a 5 from me. Just phenomenal, legendary record.
This was Jack White's debut solo album. Having heard some of his work in the White Stripes and other ventures such as the Raconteurs, I had some idea of what this would probably be like. I'm a guitar player, and I respect Jack White for his writing and playing abilities. I know there are going to be reviews that call this noise, others that say it sounds distraught or disoriented, and still those that say they couldn't make it through a song. To each their own. Personally, I enjoyed this album. I enjoyed going back to hearing Jack White's solo work. I think that this album was sonically diverse and "out there", but I expected no less from Jack White. I like some of his other solo work more, but we wouldn't have that if we didn't have this to launch his solo career. I think it was fun to listen to.
Disclaimer: I'm not a big rap/hip-hop person. That said, I'm not going to be like some boomer who gives this 1 star because I hate it. I listened to this with an open mind as it is actually out of my comfort zone. I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. It just rolled and flowed. It wasn't clubby, it wasn't clunky, it wasn't autotuned, it wasn't ultraprocessed, any of that. It was raw and real. I may not be a fan of most rap/hip-hop music, but I was a fan of this. I think it earned its accolades as solo material from GZA. Having the album supported by members of Wu Tang Clan made this into a more wholesome affair. I think it was the push out of my comfort zone that I needed to start this week.
Another one that if I didn't get assigned it, I wouldn't have ventured to find it. The things I liked about this one were the same things I didn't like about it. I liked the chill vibe, very soft rock and yacht rock feeling. I enjoy the sound and feel of this sort of music as a stark contrast to my modern hard rock mix that I listen to. From one of the Beach Boys, this record didn't really surprise me as something super standout-ish. When I say I liked the same things I disliked about this, that was the case. I could tell you a couple of the standout songs, but otherwise, while I was working, this really seemed to go in one ear and out the other. It was a decent listen overall. I'd probably listen to it again. Probably not a third time anytime soon.
